I don't self-identify as an artist, as my career and overwhelming passion are centered in a weird, biological histories. I wrote my masters thesis on the fascination with hermaphrodites in 17th-century England, and my dissertation is on the spread of knowledge about monstrous births (conjoined twins and the like) in Britain 1450-1750 (the first three centuries of European print culture). I absolutely love it (well the topic and the research, if not the writing!), especially what a great conversation topic it makes over beers at local bars!
I started making steampunk creations in the summer of 2009, when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancers, freaked out about that (it's all good now!), and needed to get as far away from my history PhD as possible. I started by filling my office with thrift store finds, eventually moved them down to my basement (where my husband made me an amazing work bench), and now work down there during my free time with a slew of cats looking on and offering suggestions.
I'm in love with the webcomic Girl Genius (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/), and that was my introduction to steampunk. I'm working on my history PhD, and some of the things I study are wunderkammern / cabinets of curiosity / the grotesque / bodies / unusual anatomies. Recently, my art has been moving in this direction, particularly in terms of collections of odd objects.
I started making jewelry as a kid. A friend of my parents was a beader, and whenever we were at her house, I would mess around with her supplies. Eventually, she gave me a bunch of extras, and I started making jewelry on my own. For me, this is just a hobby. Selling art is a great way to earn a little extra money, which I can turn around and spend on other people's art!
I think of my art as a kind of collage. I put pieces together, take them apart, keep some elements and replace others, until the piece just looks right.
What I enjoy the most about making handmade items is that they really are unique. I love seeing someone else's cobbled-together creations and thinking "I could make that." Then, when I sit down to actually work on it, it turns out completely different. That's one of my favorite things about found-art sculpture; you could hand artists identical piles of materials, and inevitably what they make with them will be entirely unique.
The message behind my work is to have fun. There's no point to making art if you don't enjoy what you're making. I'm looking forward to my first Avant-Garde show this fall!
You can see pictures of all my art at: http://MollCutpurse.etsy.com and https://www.facebook.com/pages/time-trilobites/337239835942.
Meet Phyllis Chandler from Blue Diamond Glasswork...
My name
is Phyllis Chandler. I retired in December 2011 from 30 years as an
electrologist in the Grandview/Arlington/Hilliard/West Columbus areas. I
have a BS in Math Education and am also a massage therapist. I have been
married for 43 years to Bob Chandler and we have one son, Paul Chandler. We resided in Columbus for 35 years, but in 2010 moved to Sugar Grove
Ohio. We live in a community that sees more golf carts, deer and birds
than actual cars. We love it.
In the
move we renovated a 12X20 room into a studio, where I can sit and torch while
looking out at beautiful trees and listening to the birds. We also took
over one bay of our garage for a bigger kiln and various finishing equipment
and storage for Blue Diamond Glassworks.
I
started making jewelry in 2000 and followed that 2 years later with learning
flamework techniques. Flamework is a wonderful medium. There are so
many techniques and reactions to learn about. My husband used to laugh at
me saying I went back to school every 10 years whether I needed to or
not. 30 years ago I got my electrolysis licensure, 22 years ago I got my
BS from OSU, and 12 years ago I became licensed as a massage therapist. Now I take at least 2 or 3 glass classes a year and glass will surely provide
me the learning environment I seem to need.
Where I get my creativity.. How can
I not be creative when all I have to do is look out my window to see nature at
its finest?! That is where my scene beads come from, as well as my
Quirky Critters. Everywhere I go I notice scenery, colors, animals, and
think how that would work in a bead or fused piece.
How I
got into my craft.. My husband had taken a fall and was bedridden for several
months recuperating. Out of sheer boredom I took up beading. From
the beading came the flamework. Since our son lives in Las Vegas, we
attended Glass Expo, a national glass conference, and were introduced to the
art of flameworking and fusing. I bought everything I needed to start the
hobby and then couldn’t talk myself into turning on the torch. Scary thing when you aren’t used to playing with fire. So nine months
later I took a class locally and there was no stopping from then on. I
probably spend 40 hours a week on my art.
Overall, the
general idea all along was to give us something to do when we retire. We
love doing shows, we love working at our art and we love the people we have met
and become friends with through glass. It is very different from what
both of us did during our “working” life, so is perfect for retirement.
My
creative process is play -- pure and simple play. Glass is such an
interesting medium and it takes you where it wants to go if you let it.
You can sculpt with it, you can go organic and let the glass react as it will,
or you can be precise, with all kinds of dots and stringer work. Which
way I go depends on the day and my mood. Every class you take, every bead
you see, every tutorial you mimic gives you new ways to let the glass take you.
Different
glasses and different colors react differently. When you work with glass,
it needs to anneal in a kiln overnight. Since the glass is red hot when
you are working with it, you never get a true picture of what you are doing
until the work has cooled to room temperature. So it is always Christmas
morning when I get to come downstairs and see what my projects from the day before
really look like.
The message behind my work would be
that if you work at it, you can do anything you want to do. Flamework has
the steepest learning curve of anything I’ve done. Yet I persevered and
have found it very rewarding.
You can view more of my work at my etsy shop: Blue Diamond Glass
You can view more of my work at my etsy shop: Blue Diamond Glass
Meet Susie Stover from Green Chic Shoppe...
I am a mom of three children, a nana of 3 grandsons, a wife, an at-home child care provider. I started making my own laundry soap after attending a class on essential oils, and how to use them in cleaning my home without harsh chemicals. People need to pay attention to all the chemical laden products they are using around themselves and their families.
It felt so wonderful to crawl into a bed washed in natural ingredients, and no harmful chemicals. As a child care providor, I realized the need for using cleaning products in my home and in my daycare. I began researching on how to make other cleaning products using only therapeutic grade essential oils. I had so much fun making them and so much fun packaging, that I kept making them and giving them as gifts to my daycare parents and my family.
Following that, I then asked my daughter Erin if she would be able to help me in my new business. I continued to make and package my products, but didnt have the room to store everything. I then began to sell on Etsy, put my products in a childrens re-sale shop in a neighboring town, and then began to get into craft shows.
I feel so good about using my products in my home and in my daycare. The Avant-Garde Craft Show is the first show I have been in. I plan on being in a couple more this year!
Check out these featured vendors at the 2012 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show. This eclectic show will feature a large selection of the area's most talented artisans and crafters. A portion of the show's proceeds will be donated to Columbus Ohio's Pet's Without Parents a local non-profit, no-kill, all-breed shelter for dogs and cats.
2012 Columbus Fall Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show
Sunday, November 18, 2012, 1:30pm-6:30pm
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
555 N. High St
Columbus, OH 43215
For more information, contact Becki Cooper, Event Coordinator at info@avantgardeshows.com
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